Subject: BRAVO pagers - undocumented test features





This information was copied from an article posted in rec.ham.radio in

August 1991.  This article may not answer many of the questions that

were asked by the original poster, however, it may be useful to some

of you on usenet.  The author of this information is unknown.  I saved

this information because I have a BRAVO pager and found these tidbits

of information useful.



~jack_



  .........................Begin recorded message..........................



      IF YOU HAVE A MOTOROLA BRAVO PAGER THIS WILL HELP YOU WITH

SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THIS UNIT YOU MY NOT KNOW ABOUT.



SELF TEST:

     TO PUT UNIT INTO A SELF TEST TURN OFF PAGER. NOW HOLD DOWN THE

GRAY ARROW KEY AND BLACK LOCK KEY AT THE SAME TIME AND TURN ON

PAGER. THIS TELLS THE CPU IN PAGER TO GO INTO A SELF TEST. YOU WILL

GET A 2 SECOND LONG BEEP, RELEASE THE GRAY & BLACK BUTTON AND PUSH

THE GRAY BUTTON BEFORE THE 2 SECOND BEEP ENDS. IF YOU DID ALL THIS

IN TIME YOU WILL HAVE "SPL" OR "PAGING P?" AND NOT THE DOTTED LINE

YOU ARE USED TO SEEING WHEN YOU TURN ON PAGER . BY PRESSING THE

GRAY KEY IT WILL GO TO A DISPLAY TEST, PRESS AGAIN AND YOU WILL GET

THE PAGERS CAPCODE (CAPCODE IS THE UNIQUE SERIAL NUMBER WHICH THE

PAGING TRANSMITTERS TRANSMITS TO YOUR PAGER TO TURN ON YOUR PAGER

WHEN SOMEONE PAGES YOU). WAIT AND IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS IT WILL

DISPLAY YOUR SECOND CAPCODE (IF YOU HAVE ONE-MOST DON'T) PRESS THE

GRAY KEY AGAIN AND IT WILL CHECK CONTROLS, PRESS IT AGAIN AND IT

WILL TEST VIBRATOR FUNCTION (IF YOUR PAGER HAS IT). TURN OFF PAGER

AND TURN ON AGAIN TO DISABLE SELF TEST.



SPECIAL PROGRAMMED FEATURES:

     TAKE OFF BATTERIES CLIP AND IN CENTER TOWARD THE FRONT OF

PAGER YOU WILL SEE A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD EDGE PINS (JUST LIKE THE

BACK SIDE OF A NETENDO CARTAGE. THIS EDGE PINS ARE PLUGGED INTO A

CORE PROGRAMMER. THE PROGRAMMER CAN CHANGE.



     CAPCODES:SEE ABOVE



     AUTORESET TO MANUAL:YOUR PAGER IN AUTORESET WILL BEEP 8 TIMES

THEN STOP BEEPING. MANUAL RESET THE BEEPER WILL KEEP BEEPING TILL

THE COWS COME HOME OR YOU PUSH A BUTTON TO LOOK AT THE MESSAGE.



     DISPLAY:ENGLISH PROMPTS OR INTERNATIONAL-SYMBOL SCREENS

DISPLAYED.



     SILENT MODE CHIRP:FOR A SINGLE BEEP WHEN YOUR PAGED. NOT FOR

USE ON VIBRATOR PAGERS.



     BEEP ON BAD DATA:YOUR PAGER HEARS IT'S CAPCODE BUT RECEIVED

BAD DISPLAY MESSAGE, IT WILL PUT "EEE" ACROSS DISPLAY TO SHOW BAD

RECEIVE. IF THIS IS FEATURE IS NOT ENABLED AND YOU RECEIVE BAD DATA

YOUR PAGER WILL NOT BEEP AND YOU WILL HAVE NO IDEA SOMEONE TRYED TO

PAGE YOU.



    

******************************************************************

NOW LETS SAY YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR PAGING COMPANY "A" BUT OWN

YOUR PAGER. YOUR $200.00+ PAGER IS TUNED TO THEIR FREQUENCY AND YOU

WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER PAGING COMPANY BUT NOT LOSE ALL THE MONEY YOU

SPENT FOR YOUR PAGER. THE ANSWER IS TO RECRYSTAL PAGER TO THE NEW

FREQUENCY OF COMPANY "B". BUT WE MUST ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FIRST

TO SEE WHAT IT WILL COST.



     1. WHAT IS YOUR PAGERS CODING FORMAT (POCSAG) OR (GSC)

          THE EASY WAY TO TELL IS TO DO A SELF TEST AND READ

          CAPCODE. IF IT'S 7 NUMBERS IT'S POCSAG. IF IT'S 6 NUMBERS

          AND 1 LETTER IT'S GSC. IF YOUR PAGER DOES NOT MATCH THE

          SAME CODING FORMAT AS COMPANY "B" IT WILL COST MORE THEN

          IT'S WORTH TO CHANGE.



     2. WHAT BAUD RATE IS YOUR PAGER WORKING AT ? DO SELF TEST AND

IF DISPLAY SHOWS PAGING P1 PAGER IS WORKING AT 1200 BAUD OTHER WISE

YOU ARE SAFE TO ASSUME 512 BAUD IT MUST MATCH COMPANY "B" BAUD RATE

TO BE WORTH YOUR TIME.



     3. ARE YOU IN THE SAME FREQUENCY BAND 931 MHZ OR 450 MHZ ETC.

IF COMPANY "A" AND COMPANY "B" ARE NOT IN SAME BAND IT WILL TAKE A

NEW RECEIVER BOARD TO CONVERT PAGER AND COST TO MUCH TO TRY.



     IF ALL THE ANSWERS ABOVE SHOW YOU ARE COMPATIBLE YOU CAN CALL

COMPANY "B" AND TELL THEM YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AND

NEED A CAPCODE NUMBER SO YOU CAN GET PAGER RECRYSTALED AND HAVE A

CAPCODE PROGRAMMED AT THE SAME TIME.



     NOW YOU CAN HAVE COMPANY "B" RECOMMEND A SHOP THAT WILL

RECRYSTAL PAGER OR LOOK UP ONE YOURSELF.



     THE LEAST EXPENSIVE I HAVE FOUND IS:



     ECONO-COMM

     3710 N.W. 16TH ST.

     LAUDERHILL, FLA. 33311



     305-581-4980

     305-581-4985



LAST TIME I CHECKED RECRYSTAL OF PAGER COST $19.00 AND REPAIR COST

OF $16.00 WITH A 30 DAY WARRANTY. BUT PRICES ARE ALWAYS CHANGING SO

CALL FIRST BEFORE YOU SEND ANYTHING, AND MAKE SURE YOU INSURE PAGER

IN SHIPPING.





 
SOURCE: The QRZ Windows Ham Radio CDROM